<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Until Next Year, Ice Princess by SecretFangirl98</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264002">Until Next Year, Ice Princess</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretFangirl98/pseuds/SecretFangirl98'>SecretFangirl98</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Avatar Arc (Fairy Tail), Avatar Arc Spoilers, Fairy Tail Avatar Arc, Gratsu - Freeform, M/M, past relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:40:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,888</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretFangirl98/pseuds/SecretFangirl98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsu and Gray try to fix what they had after Natsu leaves for a year to train.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Until Next Year, Ice Princess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the battle of Tartaros, Natsu looked down at the letters in his hands and knew he was doing the right thing. He needed to train, he needed to be stronger, he needed to avenge his father, Igneel. He knew what he was leaving behind and it would hurt, but he would be back, and hopefully one day the fights would be over.</p><p>He left one letter in Lucy’s apartment, it was short and to the point, he knew she would be hurt he didn’t say goodbye but he couldn’t do it in person. Just like the second letter.</p><p>He left Happy on the edge of town while he delivered the next one, the Exceed would ask too many questions, after all, while him and Gray were friends he couldn’t explain why he had written a longer letter for the Ice wizard without explaining that their relationship had moved past friendship.</p><p>He couldn’t pinpoint when it had happened, he just remembered a fight that ended with a rough kiss and waking up in Gray’s bed, and it felt like he was cuddling with an ice cube but it was still one of his favourite memories. They never talked about it, but it kept happening, and they kept fighting. Nobody knew that at the end of day Natsu often found himself leaving a sleeping Happy in their home so he could sneak himself into Gray’s apartment.</p><p>There had been arguments that came from all the time Natsu spent with Lucy, or because of Juvia’s obsession with Gray but in the end they always ended up together, and happy.</p><p>They never labelled it, they never called it dating, they didn’t even discuss it, Gray just always expected Natsu to show up, it was how things were.</p><p>Gray had stayed awake in his apartment waiting for the dragon slayer until exhaustion took over his body and he fell asleep on top of the covers. He didn’t stir when Natsu slipped in through the window like he normally did, or when he managed to get the covers over him, and placed a letter on the second pillow. Natsu almost changed his mind there and then, watching Gray and knowing he could slip into the bed and pretend he had never planned to leave, he could stay… but he didn’t, he slipped out of the window without looking back and ran to meet up with Happy.</p><p>They left Magnolia that night, looking back with smiles.</p><p>They would come home in one year.</p><p>Gray woke the next morning, feeling something he hadn’t felt since he was a child, cold. He loved the cold, but ever since he and Natsu had started sharing a bed he had normally woke up sweating because of the fireball beside him, and now he didn’t even have to open his eyes to know he wasn’t there, because he was cold and the bed felt empty, there wasn’t the annoying snoring either.</p><p>“Idiot probably passed out.” He groaned, stretching as he sat up, his hand hitting something as he dropped his arms to his side.</p><p>A letter.</p><p>The terrible handwriting gave away that it was Natsu who had written it, which caused him to frown as he tore it open.</p><p>
  <em> Gray, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you understand why I’m doing what I’m about to do, and even if you don’t I’ll just have to hope you’ll forgive me when the day comes and we meet again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m leaving Magnolia to train with Happy, we’ll be gone for one year, and when I come back I’m going to find Acnologia and make him pay. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know I should have done this in person, but I can’t say goodbye to you face to face. We never talked about what was going on between us, it became an unspoken rule, but I’m going to tell you something because you can’t stop me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I don’t know if you feel the same way, and in a year, if you’ve moved on from me, I’ll have deserved it, I can’t ask you to wait, but I just needed you to know. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Until next year, Ice Princess.</em>
</p><p><em> Yours, Natsu</em>.</p><p>Gray didn’t realise he was crying until the words had began to bleed making it even more unreadable than before, the letter fell to the floor as he jumped up from his bed, barely remembering to dress before he ran from his home.</p><p>Natsu wasn’t at home, so he tried Lucy’s apartment, nobody was there either so his last resort was the guild hall.</p><p>“Hey, has anybody seen Natsu?” He asked, breathing heavily.</p><p>“He’s gone.” Lucy said sadly, looking like she had been crying all night. “He left a letter, but that’s not all... the guild, Gray. It’s been disbanded.”</p><p>And if his heart wasn’t broken before, it was now. He had lost Natsu and now his home and family was broken apart. The tears fell before he could even try to stop them.</p><p>- one year later -</p><p>Natsu had made his dramatic entrance at the grand magic games and it was fair to say he was pretty proud of it, the games had seemed boring anyway, he couldn’t help but wonder why Fairy Tail weren’t there.</p><p>It wasn’t long before they had ran into Lucy who eventually explained that Fairy Tail was in fact disbanded, he looked at the emblem on his arm and smiled slightly. </p><p>‘Not for long’ he thought.</p><p>-</p><p>With Wendy back, they set off to find Gray, and it wasn’t quite what he expected.</p><p>He had lived with Juvia alone, and for a moment he felt his heart break until he reminded himself that he was the one who had chosen to leave, it was his fault, and if Gray had moved on, he deserved the pain of it.</p><p>He still needed to find him though, apologise for just leaving, and hope, deep down, Gray still cared about him.</p><p>His idea of redeeming himself went out the window when things fell into place.</p><p>“In one year. Tell Rogue he must protect Frosch from Gray Fullbuster.”</p><p>Those words had found themselves etched into Natsu’s memories and it pushed him to run to Sabertooth, to make sure Frosch was alive and well, and that’s when he learned about Avatar.</p><p>He knew Gray was a good person, he was better than most. He would sacrifice everything for the people he loved, but he also knew that his Demon Slayer magic had given him a dark side.</p><p>“I’m bringing him home.” Natsu said when Lucy had wanted an explanation, that was all he would give, and he meant it. Whatever path Gray had taken, he didn’t care. He would get him home where he belonged.</p><p>-</p><p>Natsu hadn’t expected that they would fight the moment they saw each other, but he should have. It was them after all.</p><p>He took in Gray’s appearance, the dark mark of his magic on his skin, and his obvious allegiance to Avatar. He was angry, he knew Gray, and he would never join a guild loyal to Zeref.</p><p>Would he?</p><p>It was like old times, the fighting, it was something he knew how to do well. Blocking each punch and taking every hit with hardly a flinch.</p><p>He did his best to remind Gray of what was waiting for him, his goal to rebuild Fairy Tail, to bring their family back together.</p><p>If Gray siding with them wasn’t enough to break his heart, it did in fact break when Gray pulled his jacket off, revealing his guild mark.</p><p>Fairy Tail was gone. He was a member of Avatar now.</p><p>-</p><p>Natsu was terrified, he couldn’t rip the cuffs off and Lucy was about to be cut in half. He couldn’t let it happen but there was no way to escape and maybe the guy was right, Gray would save them.</p><p>But maybe he shouldn’t have doubted him, because a moment before Lucy’s inevitable death, the idiot was frozen, by ice Natsu would recognise anywhere, no matter what.</p><p>Natsu had his doubts about Gray being a spy but they could only last so long when Erza began to lecture him on blowing his cover.</p><p>He stayed quiet, avoiding speaking to Gray, even as they defeated the Avatar group, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.</p><p>It wasn’t until they were back in Magnolia, the guild back together and things felt almost normal, that he finally found the time to speak to Gray. </p><p>Juvia was hanging on to his arm but that wasn’t going to stop him.</p><p>“I need to borrow Gray.” He said, getting between him and Juvia, ignoring her protests he dragged Gray away, until they were out of earshot of guild mates and nosy dragon slayers.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Natsu said, struggling to look at Gray.</p><p>“For what? Blowing a plan that was months in the making? Almost getting us killed?” Gray asked, glaring at the dragon slayer. “Or maybe your apologising for breaking my heart, if it’s that, I don’t accept it.”</p><p>“Breaking your heart? Hold on. I didn’t even though this was a serious thing! I didn’t know how you felt.”</p><p>“I let you in, every night. I waited for you every night, Natsu. Even after a fight, you were always there! And then you just... up and left. I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. I know we never talked about it, but surely you knew it wasn’t just a fling.”</p><p>“No! No I didn’t. All I knew was I was slowly falling for you and I was scared. I couldn’t protect Igneel, I couldn’t save him. I needed to be stronger, to keep my family safe. To keep you safe, Gray.”</p><p>The Demon Slayer relaxed slightly at those words, Natsu was a ridiculous person, who would completely risk his own wellbeing just to keep the Fairy Tail guild safe, their family.</p><p>“I’m safer with you by my side, Natsu.”</p><p>“I know that now.” Natsu sighed, staring at his feet. He flinched slightly when a cold as ice hand touched his cheek, lifting his face so he was looking Gray in the eye.</p><p>“If you ever leave again, I will find you and freeze you solid.”</p><p>Natsu rolled his eyes at that but leaned into the touch. “If you say so, Ice Princess.”</p><p>Gray rolled his eyes at the nickname and finally pulled Natsu into a kiss, it wasn’t soft or gentle, he was still angry and he made that clear as he roughly pushed Natsu up against a tree, but the Dragon Slayer didn’t complain, he seemed just as eager.</p><p>He was sure nothing would separate them for a while, but that was ruined by Juvia’s yelling.</p><p>Gray pulled back, his hands still tangled in Natsu’s scarf as he watched Juvia run away from them.</p><p>“Well... that‘s not going to be good.” Gray muttered, looking at Natsu who was simply grinning at him, unfazed. “What are you staring at, idiot?”</p><p>“Nothing. Just kiss me again.” Natsu smiled.</p><p>So gray did and he knew eventually they would have to go face the guild who no doubt knew about Gray and Natsu now because of Juvia, but he was too distracted by the hot lips against his to even care right now.</p><p>Maybe now things could finally be quiet.</p><p>But being in the Fairy Tail guild, he strongly doubted that.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>